According to many intellectuals around the world, Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed is a work that everyone should read.   I would definitely agree with those people.  Freire’s work has simple, straightforward ideas that aim to lift the oppressed (minorities, the lower class, the disabled, etc.) and ensure that everyone lives a life full of meaning and quality.  However, the West hasn’t embraced Freire’s ideas and I think this is for two reasons.  The first reason is that the West has valued its own ideals above all others and chooses not to budge (not that other cultures always make an effort to embrace Western values).  The second reason is that ever since the Red Scare, the West has been wary of anything too radically socialist (emphasis on the radical part).  For example, England, France, and Germany all have a very social component of their government that looks out for their citizens (healthcare, social security).  However, these countries still have an entrenched capitalist system with the very rich at running things from the very top.  While these countries have taken a step in the right direction when it comes to bringing the oppressed up from the bottom, they still encourage irresponsible capitalism (the US wasn’t the sole cause of the global economy’s downturn).    

So, Freire’s work is revolutionary and makes the call for dramatic social revolution so that all human beings can have a dignified life.  Great.  How do we even begin?  I don’t want to make anyone depressed by saying that this task is really hard and daunting...but it is.  Do we have more public forums?  More surveys and polls?  Before we can even brainstorm, we have to understand one of Freire’s main points: the oppressed must realize their own condition and must themselves work to improve their condition.  Privileged people helping from outside of the oppressed group can only do so much.  Someone within the oppressed needs to become a leader for their community.  The idea that change has to start from within not only applies to the self, but also to the community.